Hot Brewers send Kyle Harrison against struggling Cubs

Kyle Harrison finally is looking like a pitcher instead of a prospect trying to prove he is worth all the hype.

The Milwaukee Brewers' 24-year-old southpaw is 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA heading into Wednesday night's start against the host Chicago Cubs.

Harrison was a highly touted third-round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants in 2020. He went 9-9 with a 4.48 ERA in 39 appearances before being sent to the Boston Red Sox midway through 2025 as part of the Rafael Devers trade.

Harrison went 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three appearances for the Red Sox. He was traded to the Brewers in the off-season and has started to shine, winning two of his last three starts, including a 7-1 victory over San Diego on Thursday, when he threw five shutout innings. He allowed five hits and struck out seven.

"He did a great job," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "He bobbed and weaved to get us five innings. He is really coming of age. Harrison is not a rookie, but he has never basically been a full-time starter from Day One to all the way through.

"That is the life blood of our organization for years. You have to come in here and pitch."

Harrison is 13-10 with a 4.01 ERA in 50 career games, including 45 starts. He has made one appearance against the Cubs, throwing one scoreless inning in relief last May.

The Cubs will counter with right-hander Edward Cabrera (3-2, 4.06 ERA), who last won on April 28, 8-3 against the Padres. Chicago, however, has won four of his past five starts.

In his last outing, Cabrera gave up three runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings Friday in a 10-5 Cubs win over the White Sox. The 28-year-old is 28-30 with a 4.06 ERA in 98 career games, including 96 starts.

He is 1-2 with a 2.29 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Brewers.

The Cubs have lost four straight games and are trying to avoid being swept by the rival Brewers, who have won 10 of their past 12 contests.

Milwaukee knocked the Cubs out of first place in the National League Central on Tuesday with a 5-2 win. It is the first time in May that Chicago has not led the division.

The Brewers took over the Central lead by a half-game over the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. Chicago's Ben Brown took the loss Tuesday -- Jacob Misiorowski earned the victory to improve to 4-2 -- but Brown said tough games with the Brewers are a plus.

"Thay are a good hitting team, which is hot right now," he said. "These regular-season battles are always tight, and this will just make us better as a team. This is like a playoff atmosphere."

Cubs manager Craig Counsell has been frustrated with the starts the Cubs have had in the first two games with the Brewers.

Chicago had two runners on in the first inning in both games but failed to score.

"To have the first two guys on and not cash in is frustrating," Counsell said." That first inning is sometimes when you can really get a starter, and we just didn't do that.

"We still have (a long way) to go. They beat us the first two games, and now we have to come out and salvage the series."